Sabbatical

Hello fellow Jackalope fans!  I know I've been blogging less and less over the last season, and there are a number of reasons for that, but I was just going to let all of those that do read the blog know that I'm going to be taking a sabbatical that will last more than likely until at least the beginning of the Jacks' 2011-2012 inaugural NAHL season.  Unless something drastic or exciting happens pertaining to the Odessa Jackalopes, more than likely I won't be blogging again until September, but if something exciting does happen, be sure to check The Enforcer for any updates.  I'm still debating on whether or not I will even continue with the blog next season, but I'll probably think more about that as the off-season drags on.  As always, I encourage any comments from those that read my blog.

Until next time (probably September) Jackalope fans all I have to say is GO JACKS GO!!!

Frustrating Situation

Hello fellow Jackalope fans.  It's been a long time since I last blogged, and I apologize for that, but in all honesty the main reason why I have not blogged in a while is because I'm a bit frustrated with where the Jacks are apparently heading now that they have ended their seemingly final season in the CHL.  Now, I know many of you may be surprised to hear that I'm frustrated considering I've said  time and time again that I'll support the Odessa Jackalopes as long as we have a team, but a lot has happened since my last post, and to be entirely honest with you, I think the Jackalopes owners may have jumped ship prematurely when they decided to become a junior hockey team in the NAHL.  It was announced yesterday that the Laredo Bucks will stay in the Central Hockey League next season thanks to a new luxury tax being implemented into the CHL where higher-revenue teams will pay a tax that will help out the teams that are struggling financially.  Now, there have already been opponents of this new tax arguing that it's not right to make the "rich" teams give to the "poor" teams, and while I would normally agree with that, according to Bucks owner Glenn Hart (courtesy of an article by Brian Sandalow), it was the higher-revenue teams that came up with the idea to implement this new tax.  Here is a quote from "The Monitor":  "Hart's confident this new system, that's a part of 'eight or nine' measures, would help keep teams like the Bucks viable.  He said it was the higher-revenue teams' idea to implement this."  So, if the so-called "rich" teams want to aid the "poor" teams through this new luxury tax, then I say there is nothing wrong with the new tax.  The teams should be able to do with their money whatever they want, and if that includes helping out their struggling opponents, then I say more power to them.  It seems like a very generous gesture by the higher-revenue teams, and it seems to show that the successful teams want to try and find a way for the CHL to work, or in the very least give the CHL time to restructure their league to make lower-revenue teams capable of surviving in the Central Hockey League for years to come.  At least that's how I see things here.

Now, lets get to the issue of why I am frustrated right now when it comes to the Odessa Jackalopes.  When I first heard the the Jacks were going to be leaving the CHL for the NAHL, I must admit that I was shocked and disappointed with the news.  Eventually I decided to at least give the move a chance (which I still intend to do, by the way), but now I'm at a point where I'm frustrated with the move.  Why?  The answer is actually pretty simple.  With all of these owner meetings that have been taking place over the last month or so in the CHL, it seems like in the very least a temporary solution has been put into place that will allow lower-revenue teams to stick with the pro game in the CHL.  If this new tax will work for teams like Laredo, Bossier, Mississippi, and Texas, then it definitely could have worked for the Jacks as well.  Now, I fully understand that there is no guarantee that this will work anyway, but I wish the Jackalopes owners would have waited a bit longer and at least given this apparent solution a chance before deciding to make the move to junior hockey.  The move has already alienated quite a few former Jackalope fans, including several of my family members and friends that were season ticket holders last season, and once this news becomes more common knowledge to more and more Jackalope fans, I'm afraid that more and more may end up turned off by the move to the NAHL.

  In all honesty, and I thought I would never say this, but that could include myself, and I consider myself a huge die-hard fan of the team.  Now, hear me out before calling me a hypocrite or questioning my "fanhood."  While I may ultimately disagree with the move to the NAHL and may state that the move to junior hockey was a premature decision, I will say with certainty that I will always be an Odessa Jackalope fan no matter what league they're in.  I may not be a season ticket holder next season (with that still being up in the air due solely to this move), but I'll still attend as many games as possible, I'll still be listening to the Jacks on the radio, and more than likely I'll still post on whatever forum Jackalope fans have next season.  I may shut down the blog, another decision that I'm not certain about yet, but I'll always be a fan in some form of the Odessa Jackalopes.

Now that I've cleared that up, I'll get to why I'm concerned about the future of the franchise, and I'll also give my opinion as to why I think it's not too late for the Jacks to back out of the move to the NAHL to stay with the pro game.  I'm concerned about the future of the franchise for the simple fact that I've heard some fans say that they will give the NAHL a chance, I've heard only a handful of people say that they like the move, but I've heard a TON of people say that they won't support the team if it moves to junior hockey.  I consider myself as big of a fan of the Jackalopes as any other fan out there, but when I'm not even sure if I'm going to renew my season tickets for next season because of this move, I can only assume that there are many others that feel the same way.  In fact, I don't have to assume anything, because as I've said before, I've heard many season ticket holders flat out say to me that they will not renew for next season if such a move is made.  If the small yet passionate core fan base that we currently have dies out, then I see the franchise ultimately doing the same, even if things are cheaper, for lack of a better word, in the NAHL.  I think anybody with common sense can see that.  Many like to point out that Corpus and Amarillo had virtually the same attendance numbers in the NAHL that they had in the CHL, but they also point out that those teams were selling the crap out of the move to the public through a ton of marketing, and to be honest with you, so far the Jacks don't seem to be doing the same.  In fact, according to the Rapid City Journal, no formal announcement has even been made yet pertaining to the move, which brings me to yet another point.

  In the Rapid City Journal it states, "One franchise apparently is set to leave.  Indications are the Odessa Jackalopes will join former CHL teams Corpus Christi and Amarillo in the North American Hockey League.  No formal announcement has been made, but the Jackalopes have added NAHL logos to their website and Odessa is listed on the NAHL website as one of four new teams in the Tier 1 Junior league for next season."  So, my question is this:  Is it too late for the Jacks to back out and stick with the pro game?  According to this article, things don't seem to be set in stone yet, and while some may say that I shouldn't rely on information from another team, I would counter with the fact that this isn't the first article from an opposing team that has said that it's not official that the Jacks are moving to the NAHL next season.  With the conversion of the Jacks' website, the holding of camps, and a meeting being called for potential host families, I think it's all but certain that we will be in the NAHL next season, but stranger things have happened.  All I can say is that I hope the Jacks stick with pro hockey.  Even if they do go the junior route this upcoming season, I really do hope that the team eventually finds it's way back to the pro ranks.  If not, I don't see a bright future for hockey in the Permian Basin.


Until next time Jackalope fans all I have to say is GO JACKS GO!!! and lets stay pro!

Battle of the Heavyweights

Hello fellow Jackalope fans!  I'm back, and as most of you probably already know, the Jacks won their series against Texas three games to one after absolutely dominating the Brahmas in game four by a final of 5-0.  Yes, that's right, the Jacks shutout the Brahmas in the clinching game for Odessa, which makes the Jacks 8-1 game seven loss at the NYTEX Sports Centre from a couple of seasons ago hurt a little less.  It was also great to see our team on the right side of the end-of-series handshake on home ice as it has been a long time since we Jackalope fans got to witness that.  My family and I got to watch the Jacks eliminate the Bucks a couple of seasons ago at the LEA (then the LEC) against the Bucks in an absolute thriller (maybe the most exciting game I have ever watched as a Jackalope fan), but this was the first time since (I believe) the Jacks defeated Austin a few seasons ago at the ECC that the home fans got to watch their team clinch a playoff series at the Jack Shack.  It was definitely great to see.

But, the most important thing was that the Jacks eliminated the bulls to move on to the next round (which we will get to in a moment), they sent the Brahmas to the golf course for the second season in a row, and finally the deciding round three of the epic Jackalopes versus Brahmas playoff series over the last three seasons goes in the Jackalopes favor with this series victory.  As Brien Rea said during the post-game show, the cow bells definitely were not ringing after game four at the ECC!  In all seriousness, though, I know I speak for all Jackalope fans when I say we will miss our heated rivalry that the Jacks have developed with the Brahmas over the last few seasons.

Moving on, lets talk about the Berry Conference Semi-Finals shall we?  In this five game series we will get to see our Jackalopes take on the Governor Cup champs themselves, the Allen Americans.  Of course, Jackalope fans as well as the Jackalopes players and coaches still have to have a sour taste in their mouths after being eliminated in game seven of the conference finals by Allen last season.  The Jacks were bitten by the infamous Governor's Cup curse last season, so I know we are all hoping the roles are reversed this season.  That said, I have dissected the numbers of both teams over their last fifteen games of the regular season as well as their round one playoff series, and I must say that this should be a battle of two titans in what should be a very exciting series.  They have very similar numbers, which we will get to in a few moments, so the Jacks have to play their best hockey and take the series one game at a time in order to be successful.  I think that's stating the obvious, so lets go ahead and move on to the actual numbers.  After all, the numbers do not lie.

  Over the Americans last ten games of the regular season, they sported a record of 6-3-1, with 39 goals for and 33 goals against for a goal differential of +6 over the span.  Pretty good, right?  But, believe it or not, the Jacks actually were just a tad bit better during their last ten games of the regular season as they went 7-2-1, with 40 goals for and 26 goals against for a goal differential of +14.  To go back even a little further, Allen was 9-5-1 over their last fifteen games of the regular season, with 57 goals for and 49 goals against for a goal differential of +8.  But, once again the Jacks were just a tad bit better over the same stretch as they had a 10-4-1 record for their last fifteen games of the regular season, with 66 goals for and 50 goals against for a goal differential of +16.  Very, very similar numbers for both teams as the regular season started to come to a close, with the Jacks having a slightly better record.  But, the main thing that caught my eye when breaking down the numbers were the goal differentials for both teams over this span of time.  Over the Jacks' last fifteen games of the regular season, they scored sixteen more goals than they gave up.  Their offense was absolutely on fire, but somewhat surprisingly (considering how much the defense struggled early on) they were playing very good defense as well.  Conversely, over Allen's last fifteen games of the regular season, they only scored eight more goals than they gave up.  Not only that, but the Jacks also (over this stretch of games) scored nine more goals than the team that scored more goals than any other team in the CHL during the regular season.  What I take from these regular season numbers is that the Jacks are just as good as the Allen Americans, and have certainly been proving that over the last couple of months.  They just need to continue on with this great play.

  Moving on, lets go ahead and break down the numbers for both teams in the playoffs.  Lets start with the Americans first.  Allen swept the Killer Bees right out of the playoffs in convincing fashion.  No real surprise there as the Bees struggled all season, and it was as if they and Laredo were both trying their best to be that one team that did not make the playoffs in the Berry Conference.  The Americans scored 13 goals in the series with only five against for a goal differential of +8.  That's pretty impressive, but like I said, the Bees really had no chance in that series.  Now lets see what the Jacks did against the Brahmas.  The Jacks won their series against Texas three games to one.  They scored 18 goals while giving up ten to also give them a goal differential of +8.  Once again we see similar numbers from two great teams.  But, believe it or not, the numbers get even more similar when comparing the goaltending stats of both teams' goalies to the point where it's getting downright unbelievable.  In the postseason for Allen, Chris Whitley has a record of 3-0 with a 1.67 goals against average and a save percentage of 94.3%.  On the other hand, Joel Martin for the Jacks has also gone 3-0, also has a 1.67 goals against average, yet he has a slight edge when it comes to save percentage as he has stopped 94.7% of the shots that he has faced.  Their numbers are almost identical!  Now that I've broken down all of these numbers, and I know I've shared a lot with ya'll, I will say that I believe the Jacks have a slight advantage over the Americans not only because of a slight edge in the numbers, but also because the Jacks faced a much tougher opponent in the playoffs than Allen did.  The Jacks (in convincing fashion) defeated a very tough and very experienced Texas Brahmas team.  The Americans, however, predictably decimated a very bad Killer Bees team.  Therefore, I believe the Jacks are a little more battle tested, so to speak, which will hopefully work out in their favor.  Now that we've dissected all of these numbers, I'm going to do what I did in my last post and give the keys to the Jacks success in this series.  Without further ado, here they are:

•  OFFENSE- The Jacks offense has to continue to roll.  They have three players that are in the top five in scoring so far in the playoffs, while Allen's top scorer isn't even in the top twenty.  The Jacks must find the back of the net, and find it as much as humanly possible.  After all, this series could very well turn into a slugfest as both teams have potentially explosive offenses.
• SPLIT- A split for the Jacks in the first two games in Allen is an absolute must.  Stealing both games at the AEC would be amazing (and I actually think it could happen), but losing the first two would more than likely mean the end of the season for the Jacks.  Steal the home ice advantage, guarantee yourself two games at the ECC, and try and finish the job on home ice.
• GOALTENDING- As the numbers prove, both Martin and Whitley have been amazing in the playoffs thus far.  Martin must continue to be hot in net, while the Jacks must find a way to crack Whitley.
• DEFENSE- To bring up the numbers once again, the Jacks have been playing better defense than Allen has over the last couple of months, and that must continue.  The Jacks have to have good defense in order to be successful in this series.  Limit mistakes and turnovers in your own zone, and clear the traffic in front of Martin's net.
• SPECIAL TEAMS-  This is a big key to this series.  For the conspiracy theorists out there, it will definitely be interesting to see how these games are called by the refs.  Allen had the best power play in the regular season, and has the sixth best in the playoffs.  The Jacks had the fifth best power play in the regular season, and have the fourth best in the playoffs.  The penalty kill, however, is where these two teams differ.  Allen had a middle of the pack penalty kill percentage in the regular season, but has been perfect thus far on the penalty kill with a 100% success rate.  The Jacks penalty kill during the regular season was the second worst in the entire CHL.  The PK in the playoffs has not been much better, if at all, so the Jacks MUST stay out of the penalty box as much as possible.  NO STUPID PENALTIES!
• PLAY THEIR GAME- To me, this is the most important key to the Jacks' success.  Everybody knows of Allen's "physical" play.  The Jacks must neutralize this and not fall for the goonery.  They need to unleash Jean Bourbeau and make the Americans think twice before delivering cheap shots behind the play and after this whistle.  However, the Jacks have to protect their skilled players, and if they must fight fire with fire, then they should be more than ready with both Gruenke and Sawyer on their postseason roster.  That said, the Jacks need to spend as much time as possible in the attacking zone, and they really need to capitalize on their chances.  They must hit the net more often, and cash in on those juicy rebounds.  In the very least, they should be able to draw penalties in such instances.
• GOVERNOR'S CUP CURSE- It's time for the curse to bite Allen.  It did the Jacks in last season against these Allen Americans, so hopefully the roles will be reversed and the curse will bite the Americans right in the ass.

PREDICTION:  Jacks win series in 4 games.  I see this series much like I saw the series with Texas.  I see the Jacks splitting the first two in Allen, and then coming home to finish the job at the Jack Shack.  But, I would not be surprised in the least to see this series go to five games.  Still, though, I feel in my bones that the Jacks win this series in four games.

Now that I've concluded this very long blog post, I'm going to go ahead and wrap things up here.  The Jacks begin this series this upcoming Thursday and Sunday in Allen.  The series then shifts to Odessa for game three the following Tuesday (the 19th), with game four at the ECC (if necessary) being played on Thursday the 21st.  If a game five is necessary, it will be played in Allen the following day on the 22nd.  I do have one request before I wrap things up here.  Please show up at the ECC to support this team in a HUGE series.  Grab a friend, sibling, girlfriend, grandma, neighbor, or whoever you can get your hands on and drag them (if necessary) to the Jack Shack to enjoy some very entertaining playoff hockey.  We have had good crowds so far in the playoffs, so lets continue that trend and cheer our boys on to victory.  Hopefully I will be blogging in the next week or so with good news that the Jacks have won this series and will be heading to the conference finals to take on the winner of the Bossier/Tulsa series, but lets not count our chickens before they hatch.


Until next time Jackalope fans all I have to say is GO JACKS GO!!! and so we meet again Allen Americans!

Purple Cows, Here We Come!

Hello fellow Jackalope fans!  The regular season has concluded, the playoffs are literally just a few days away, and isn't it fitting that the Jacks opponent in the first round of the playoffs will be none other than... wait for it... the Texas Brahmas!  That's right, the same Texas Brahmas that the Jacks have played in the playoffs the last two seasons in a row.  Texas took round one with a knockout blow in game seven of the conference finals during the 2009 playoffs, while the Jacks took round two last postseason after coming back from being down 0-2 in the seven game series only to come back and win the next four straight to eliminate the purple cows from playoff contention.  Now it's time for the decisive round three, as this will probably be the last time that these two teams ever face each other as the Jacks have made it official that they are moving to the NAHL next season, while the Brahmas future is still up in the air (although many Brahma fans believe Texas will be moving to the SPHL).  It would be a great story if the Jacks somehow manage to finally bring home that elusive Ray Miron President's Cup, and a departing middle finger to Duane Lewis and the CHL would only be fitting as the Jacks will say good-bye to pro hockey after fourteen years, primarily (at least in my opinion) because of Mr. Lewis running the Central Hockey League straight into the ground.  But, that's a totally different story, and I want to focus on the first round of the playoffs for the Jacks in this post.

  So, lets go ahead and have some fun with this soon-to-be-played series, shall we?  First, lets start off with the bad news.  The bad news is that Texas won the regular season series against the Jacks, as the Jacks only managed to go 3-5-1 against the Brahmas in the 2010-2011 CHL regular season.  That said, the Jacks did win the last meeting between the two teams in the regular season at the ECC by a final of 7-3 just a few weeks ago.  The other bad news for the Jacks is that Texas has the home ice advantage, and everybody knows that the NYTEX Sports Centre is a very tough building to win at.  But, the Jacks have had success there, especially during last season's playoffs, so if the Jacks can in the very least split the first two games at the NYTEX to start the series, then I really like their chances to seal the deal, so to speak, at the Ector County Coliseum the following Tuesday and Thursday. 

Now lets move on to the good news, before I give a list of the key elements for an Odessa Jackalope series win against the Brahmas.  The good news is that the Jacks have been hot as of late, while the Brahmas have been stone cold.  Lets back up this claim with some numbers.  In the Jacks last ten games they had a record of 7-2-1.  Meanwhile, in the bulls last ten games they went 2-8-0.  You want to go back even a little further?  In the Jacks last fifteen games they went 10-4-1, while the Brahmas went 5-10-0 in their last fifteen.  So, based on those numbers it clearly shows that the Jacks have been playing very good hockey over the last month or so, while the Brahmas have been playing pretty poor, inconsistent hockey.  As we all know, though, the playoffs are a totally different animal, and the Jacks can't underestimate this Texas Brahmas team, especially when they have home ice advantage.  Before I get to my list, I would like to throw a couple more numbers your way to show what direction both the Jacks and Brahmas seem to be heading.  In the Jacks last five games, they have scored 19 goals while giving up 11 for a goal differential of +8.  Conversely, in the Brahmas last five games they have scored 18 goals, but they also gave up 23 for a goal differential of -5.

Now lets get to my list of key elements in order for the Jacks to win the series against Texas:

• The Jacks must shut down, or at least limit the scoring of the Brahmas top line which consists of Deitsch, Woollard, and Hogeboom.  Those three players have accounted for a HUGE chunk of Texas' scoring against the Jacks this season, so if the Jacks are able to shut these guys down, then I really, really like their chances.
• The Jacks must (in the very least) split the first two games at the NYTEX Sports Centre to kick off the series.  If the Jacks head home down 0-2, it will be very difficult for them to win the next three straight, especially with game five (if necessary) being played in North Richland Hills.  But, if the Jacks can split the first two games and head to the ECC for the next two games, then I really like the Jacks chances.
• The Jacks need to keep the NYTEX Sports Centre as quiet as possible.  You may be thinking: How do the Jacks do that?  The answer is very simple.  Score early and score often.  Take the fans out of the game early, and you should be just fine.  If not, I personally know how loud and crazy it can get in the "Shoebox," (as Greg Rajan likes to call their arena).  Lets just say I have never left the NYTEX Sports Centre without a throbbing headache.
• Say it with me everybody:  DEFENSE!  If the Jacks play good defensively, and limit their turnovers in their own zone, then they should be successful.  The good news here is that the Jacks have been good defensively over the last month or so, so hopefully that trend will continue into the playoffs.  If it doesn't, however, then the Jacks will undoubtedly get burnt by the Brahmas.
• The Jacks goaltending has to be solid and consistent.  With Mole and Martin (or the M&M boys as some Jackalope fans now like to call them) being our goaltending tandem in the playoffs, I really feel confident.  Mole has been great since joining the Jacks, and I feel much more confident with Martin in between the pipes for us as opposed to McKee.  That's not meant to be a knock on McKee, but the simple fact of the matter is that Martin is a veteran goaltender that has playoff, but more importantly championship experience at this level of hockey.  Not to mention Martin looked pretty solid in the Jacks last regular season game against the Mudbugs, picking up the win while allowing only two goals on twenty-eight Bossier shots on goal.
• After Dan Wildfong "physically abused" both a referee and a linesemen the other night when they lost to Rio Grande Valley, I'm expecting (this is just a guess on my part) at least a four game suspension for Wildthong.  If he misses the series against the Jacks, then you take away the "Wildfong factor" from the bulls.  Say what you will about the guy, but I don't think anybody doubts his ability to really light a fire under his team.  If he's not behind the bench against the Jacks, that should mean good things for the Jacks.  By the way, I'm not predicting this potential suspension to be a major factor in the outcome of the series... I just think it can only mean good things for the Jacks should Wildfong not be behind the bench for the Brahmas.
• And finally, I'm expecting (although it has not been confirmed if either of these guys will return for the playoffs) Dominic Leveille and Dave Van Drunen to be back for the Jacks in the postseason.  Leveille is a definite scoring threat every time he hits the ice, while DVD is arguably the best defensive defenseman in the entire CHL.  Not to mention the Jacks always seem to play better with Van Drunen in the lineup.  Also, Bourbeau and Martin have been assigned back to the Jacks by Bridgeport, so that's more good news for us as Martin should bring stability in net for us, while Bourbs brings a much needed physical element to the team.

Now that I've shared my list with you all, I will conclude this post with my prediction on the outcome of the series between the Jacks and Brahmas.  I think the Jacks split the first two games at the NYTEX Sports Centre, but then come home to the ECC to win the next two straight.  I predict the Jacks win this series in four games.  All signs seem to show the Jacks as more than capable of winning this series, but of course the game is played on the ice, and the boys have to be hungry to be successful in the playoffs.  We Jackalope fans know that they are more than capable of going all the way, but that means absolutely nothing if the boys don't believe in themselves.  Something tells me, though, that the Jacks will be just fine.  With that said, I'm going to go ahead and wrap things up here.  As much as I'd love to blog again this weekend after the two games in North Richland Hills are played, I highly doubt I will be able to as I have a test on Friday at UTPB, and I also have to take a test on the internet on Sunday, so I'll definitely be busy with school this weekend.  But, be sure to check The Enforcer early next week for any and all updates pertaining to the Jacks playoff run.


Until next time Jackalope fans all I have to say is GO JACKS GO!!! and lets feast on some purple burgers beginning Thursday night!

Miller Screws Jacks!

Hello fellow Jackalope fans.  It was a disappointing night tonight if you are an Odessa Jackalope fan, as the Jacks blew a two goal lead in yet another game, and referee Geoff Miller absolutely screwed the Jacks royally tonight at the Ector County Coliseum.  The Jacks lost the game by a final of 5-4 in OT, but Miller tried his damnedest to hand the game to the Sundogs on a silver freaking platter in regulation.  Put it this way: Five of the first six penalties called in the game (which extended into the third period) were called against the Jacks, with the 'Dogs only receiving one minor during this stretch of time.  It was as if the Jacks couldn't buy a call, while Arizona was being given call, after call, after call, after call.  It was simply unbelievable.  Then, with about five minutes left in the game, in a tie game might I add, Miller calls Alex Dunn for delay of game after Dunn is taken down by a Sundog player behind the Arizona net where Dunn fell on top of the puck obviously injured.  Alex Dunn was down on the ice for some time in obvious pain, but this absolute disgrace of a referee calls him for delay of game.  What in the hell did Miller expect Dunn to do, jump up and start tap dancing on ice?  He was freaking injured!  Then, to make matters worse, another delay of game is called seconds later as the Jacks were killing off what never should have been a penalty as David McKee was tagged for delay of game after he shot the puck out of play.  I'm not arguing the second penalty called, but the first one never should have been called, and if it wasn't, then McKee never would have shot the puck out of play to begin with.  Of course, this means Arizona went on a very long five on three power play late in a tied game, and credit must be given to the Jacks for killing off this total bullshit, but many of the guys were gassed after having to fight off the Sundogs as well as Geoff Miller.  The game ended up going into OT, and the Sundogs scored about three minutes into the extra frame off a pretty soft goal given up by David McKee.

  You know, I was really impressed with McKee when he first joined the Jacks, but he has been a pretty big disappointment in his last several games, and that shot is one that just has to be stopped in overtime.  Yeah, the defense deserves a ton of the blame as well as Arizona never should have even been able to come back in the game, and turnovers led directly to a couple of Arizona's goals, which can't be blamed on McKee.  That said, your goaltender is supposed to be your last line of defense, and our goaltending has been shaky (to say the least) all season long.  Sometimes a goalie has to find a way to stand on his head, and we have rarely seen that this season, which has cost us many games. 

Moving on, with this OT loss, the Jacks in the very least earn one point and now find themselves in a three-way tie for fifth place in the Berry Conference with Mississippi and the Sundogs.  I guess the silver lining in this very dark cloud is the fact that the Jacks still have  a couple of games in hand over Arizona, but the Jacks really should have won this game in regulation and separated themselves a little bit from the Sundogs.  But, that's obviously not the case, and the Jacks find themselves just five points ahead of eighth place (which is the last playoff spot) Rio Grande Valley with two HUGE games against the Killer Bees coming up later this week.  The Jacks will take on the Killer Bees in Hidalgo on Thursday night, and then play them the very next night at the ECC.  If RGV somehow finds a way to win both of these games, the Jacks could find themselves just one measly point ahead of the Killer Bees for the last playoff spot in the Berry Conference.  So, the Jacks really need to win both of these games, separate themselves from RGV as well as (hopefully) Mississippi and Arizona, and get a bit of a grip on the fifth seed for the playoffs.  The boys need to start playing some good defense and need to start having some goaltending, or it won't matter what seed they are in the playoffs because they won't last very long with poor defense and poor goaltending.  They need to pull their heads out of their asses, stop getting lazy when they have leads, and keep their foot on the gas for a full sixty minutes.  Simple as that.  Show some freaking heart, limit your turnovers, start winning some hockey games, and head into the postseason hot and do some damage.

Wow, I feel better now that I've got that off my chest.  This season has been such a roller coaster of a ride that you never know what team you're going to watch when it comes to this Jackalopes team.  One night they look like they could beat any team in the CHL.  The very next night they look like a total joke.  If this is the last season for the Odessa Jackalopes in the CHL, then it has definitely been one to forget so far this season.  This is not the way the Jacks want to go out, so hopefully they will get their act together and surprise some people in the playoffs.  Finally, I have some disappointing news that I have to share with you all.  I stated on my last post that it was official that Collin Circelli would be back with the Jacks soon.  Well, it turns out that will not be the case.  He was supposed to come back to the Permian Basin once his season ended over in Sweden, but unfortunately for us his team has been successful in the playoffs over in Europe, and it seems as if he won't make it back in time to qualify for the playoffs for us.  This is a huge disappointment as Circelli is a top notch goal scoring center, and it would have been extremely nice to see him back in a Jackalope sweater, but it seems as if the hockey gods continue to mess with us with all of the crap that we have had to deal with throughout this entire season.

But, the Jacks have got to find a way to get the job done with what they've got.  That's all that can really be said here.  They've got to get their act together and play to their potential.  If they don't, then the Jacks will be heading for the golf courses sooner rather than later this year, which is something that none of us want to see.  To wrap things up, I will reiterate that the Jacks have a home-and-home series starting Thursday night against the Killer Bees in Hidalgo and ending on Friday in Odessa, and then they take on the very good Tulsa Oilers on Saturday night at the ECC.  So, it will be a huge and very important three games in a row for the Jacks, where in all honesty the Jacks need to try and find a way to win all three games, or at least two of the three in the very least.  Having said that I'm going to go ahead and get off of here and have nightmares about tonight's game.  Be sure to check The Enforcer in the coming days for any updates pertaining to the Odessa Jackalopes.


Until next time Jackalope fans all I have to say is GO JACKS GO!!! and lets buckle down and get down to business starting Thursday night!

Big Weekend Coming Up

Hello fellow Jackalope fans!  It's a gorgeous day here in the Permian Basin, and the Jacks snapped a two game skid by defeating the Allen Americans by a 5-2 final last night at the ECC.  With the win, the Jacks record improves to 25-26-6 (56 Pts.) on the season, and they have jumped the Mississippi Riverkings for fifth place in the Berry Conference standings.  Hopefully last night's win against the team with the best record in the CHL will give the guys an extra boost of confidence when they host the Bloomington Prairie Thunder for the first time ever at the ECC for a pair of games this weekend.  Bloomington is one of the top teams in the Turner Conference, so the Jacks have to bring their "A" game and really limit their stupid turnovers in their own zone.  The good news is that the Jacks have, despite losing a couple in a row recently, been playing pretty good hockey, especially at home, so maybe they will sweep the Prairie Thunder right out of the Permian Basin.  The Jacks definitely need to keep on winning and earning points as both Mississippi and Arizona trail them just by one point for the fifth seed in the Berry, with the Jacks and 'Kings having played the same amount of games, and with the Jacks having two games in hand on the Sundogs.  The boys really need to separate themselves from those two teams as well as Rio Grande Valley, and need to try their best (which will be an extremely difficult task to accomplish) to catch the Mudbugs for the fourth seed in the conference.  If the Jacks can somehow miraculously catch Bossier Shreveport, then that would guarantee the Jacks home ice advantage in the first round of the playoffs.  Like I said, though, this will be a tall task for the boys, so they need to worry only about themselves and win as many of their remaining games as possible.  It would be nice to see the Jacks heading into the postseason red hot, and who knows, maybe they will be the dark horse to win the Presidents Cup.  We Jackalope fans know they are more than capable of doing this, the guys just have to believe it themselves and play up to their potential.

That said, it has been confirmed that Collin Circelli will be returning to the Jacks soon.  As soon as his team in Sweden finishes up in their playoffs, he should be on his way to the Permian Basin.  Hopefully that will be sooner rather than later, as a player from Europe has to play so many games in order to be eligible for the CHL playoff roster.  From what I've heard, he'll definitely be back in time to qualify, but it would be nice to see him back as soon as possible in order for him to adjust to some of his new teammates as well as help the Jacks finish the regular season on a high note.  Simply put, Collin is a big time goal scorer and has been sorely missed this season.  It will be great to see number sixteen back at the Jack Shack, and I don't think I'm the only one that feels that way.  Now lets move on to Juha Toivonen.  About a week ago General Manager Joe Clark was on the Jacks Power Hour radio show, and he confirmed that it would be extremely difficult and highly unlikely to get Juha back to the Jacks in time for him to qualify for the playoff roster.  He said that they were definitely interested in bringing him back, and he was definitely interested in coming back, but apparently it takes a while to settle immigration issues over in Finland, so it's almost guaranteed that we won't see Juha back in a Jackalopes sweater.  Clark did say their is a very small chance that it could happen, but not to count on it, so who knows?  Crazier things have happened, so I'm still holding on to that little beam of hope that Juha will somehow make his way to the Permian Basin for the playoffs.

Finally, I would like to mention the Jacks impending move to the NAHL next season.  Rumors have been circulating for months now about a possible move, and these rumors have been confirmed as the Jackalopes ownership group has confirmed that the team will be playing junior hockey next season.  While the move is not official yet, as the owners have to deal with the CHL in order to leave the league, it unfortunately looks like pro hockey has officially died in the Permian Basin after fourteen years.  The simple truth of this apparent move is that the Jacks have been bleeding money since the Nyborgs and Gasser took over five years ago, and it seems as if they just can't handle their losses any more.  According to the Odessa American, they have lost over three million dollars since purchasing the team (an average of $600,000 a year), so I fully understand why they are jumping ship as costs are much more manageable in the NAHL.  Of course, this is sad news as we will have to watch players that have been in Odessa for years move on to new cities, leagues, and even countries to continue their careers elsewhere.  I would like to say thank you to those guys, as well as every single player that has wore a Jackalopes sweater, for all of the great memories that you have created for us Jackalope fans to remember for the rest of our lives.  It won't be the same without you guys, and you all will be sorely missed, but I wish you all the best wherever you decide to go from here.

Now, I have personally heard several season ticket holders (some of my family members included) that have flat out stated that they will not renew their tickets if the Jacks move down to the NAHL.  While I'll support the Jackalopes as long as we have a hockey team, apparently many people feel differently, and I truly do hope that our attendance doesn't suffer even further with this move.  We may have small crowds much of the time, but we do have a solid and passionate core of die hards, so I'm really hoping we don't lose our core with this move.  If these fans won't come back to support the team next season, why would the casual fan?  I say junior hockey is better than no hockey (and I really applaud our owners for at least keeping the Jackalopes in some form alive) but some folks just don't feel the same way I do.  Having said that, I will have a separate post once the move is made official, to share even more of my thoughts and opinions about the move to the NAHL.  Now that I've shared the latest Jackalope news with everybody, I'm going to go ahead and wrap things up here.  Hopefully I'll blog again Sunday or sometime next week, depending on how busy I get with school, so be sure to check The Enforcer frequently for any updates pertaining to your Odessa Jackalopes.


 Until next time Jackalope fans all I have to say is GO JACKS GO!!! and lets send the Prairie Thunder back home with a couple of losses this weekend!

When Will This Madness End?

Hello fellow Jackalope fans!  I know it's been well over a month since I last truly blogged about Odessa Jackalope hockey, but as I said in my last post, school has really kept me busy as of late, and I was also battling the flu for most of this month, and finally started to feel better a few days ago.  I rarely get sick, but boy when I do, it hits me like a ton of bricks.  Anyway, moving on, lets talk some Jackalope hockey shall we?  Unfortunately the Jacks roller coaster of a season continues to be unpredictable as the Jacks have really struggled recently.  After a semi-successful rodeo road trip, where the team went 3-1-3, the Jacks ended up going 0-6-0 on the ensuing six game homestand which saw the return of Jean Bourbeau to the Odessa Jackalopes from their AHL affiliate, the Bridgeport Sound Tigers.  I must say that it was great to see Bourbs back on the ice at the ECC, but what was really strange about his return was that the horrible six game losing streak started with his return to the team, and ended once he was recalled by Bridgeport.  It was almost like some kind of curse or something (for all those superstitious hockey fans out there).  It would be silly to claim that Bourbeau is what caused the Jackalopes six game losing streak, but that was just an interesting fact that I thought I would share with everybody. 

As I stated a few moments ago, the Jacks snapped their losing streak the next game after Bourbs was recalled by Bridgeport, which saw the Jacks defeat the Laredo Bucks at the Laredo Energy Arena during a rare 11:00 AM hockey game by a final of 4-3 after the teams ended up deciding the outcome via shootout.  Then came a huge weekend set against the CHL leading Allen Americans.  To cut to the chase, the Jacks lost both games (one in regulation and the other in OT) but both games were one goal games that easily could have ended in favor of the Jacks.  That said, in both games the Jacks blew third period leads, which is something that has bitten the Jacks time and time again this season.  Now, granted these were just one goal leads in the third period on the home ice of the best team in the league, but still the Jacks need to find a way to keep their foot on the gas, and really put away their opposition instead of allowing them to make late comebacks.   Usually it was the Jacks last season that were the ones that made the frequent comeback, but unfortunately this season it appears the tables have turned as time and time again it seems teams are able to come back late in games to either tie the game against Odessa, or even take the lead for good.  That is unacceptable, and the Jacks really need to find a way to fix this problem, preferably before the playoffs begin.

  That said, I will say that the Jacks really played Allen hard this past weekend, and if they play like that for the remainder of the season, then they should definitely have plenty of success, and hopefully move up a few spots in the standing before all is said and done.  In order for this to happen, though, the Jacks are going to have to find a way to stay healthy (with Leveille, Van Drunen, and now Bernard all on the IR), play good consistent hockey, watch stupid defensive turnovers in their own zone, and finally have solid goaltending.  While McKee has been fairly solid for the most part since joining the team, Robinson really seems to be struggling as of late.  If he doesn't get back on the right track in the very near future, then in my personal opinion I would use McKee exclusively as my starter with Robinson being the occasional backup.  But, that's just my two cents.  I'm sure Gillis knows exactly what he is doing, but that's just this fans perspective when it comes to Odessa Jackalope goaltending.

  Moving on, there has been a rumor flying amongst Jackalope fans that Collin Circelli may be returning to the Odessa Jackalopes in the very, very near future.  Now, at this point this is just a rumor, but there is more than one fan that seems pretty confident that number sixteen will be wearing a Jackalope sweater again very soon.  Let me just say that if this rumor does indeed come to fruition, then I will be a very happy Jackalope fan.  I have been a huge fan of Circelli's since he became a Jackalope, and I was pretty disappointed when it was announced that he would be playing hockey in Sweden this season.  Collin is a very solid two-way forward, that is a major scoring threat every time he hits the ice.  He also hustles every time he is on the ice, and I think him being added to the team would help out tremendously as the Jacks have really lacked depth at the center position this season.  I honestly believe that he may be that much needed spark the Jacks need in order to really get rolling again, and it's easy to see that the Jacks need as much momentum as possible before the postseason begins in a little over a month.

  Lets hope that momentum shift begins tomorrow evening when the Jacks travel to Prescott Valley, Arizona to take on the Sundogs who are just five points behind the Jacks for the sixth spot in the Berry Conference standings.  The Jacks need to really find a way to separate themselves from Arizona, Laredo, and especially Rio Grande Valley in the conference standings, as well as find a way to move up a spot or two in order to be in as best a position as possible for the playoffs.  They can begin to work towards that goal starting tomorrow against the 'Dogs, then it's off to North Richland Hills for a Friday night contest against their rival, the Texas Brahmas.  Once they conclude their current road trip, it's back to the Jack Shack for a five game homestand, as well as a month of March that features ten of the fourteen games in that month being played at the Ector County Coliseum.  Lets just hope that the Jacks have a lot more success in their many coming home games than they had during their last homestand.

  I definitely have faith that they will get back on the right track very soon (hopefully starting tomorrow evening), as I believe there is just too much talent on this team for them to continue to struggle like they have the last several games.  I also firmly believe that once this team is fully healthy, especially when Dave Van Drunen returns, then the team will be unstoppable when they're playing their best hockey.  We all know what they are capable of, and I'm dying to see some Jackalope hockey that we  know the team is more than capable of displaying.  Having said all of this, I'm going to go ahead and wrap things up here, and enjoy the rest of Valentines Day (by the way happy Valentines Day to all).


Until next time Jackalope fans all I have to say is GO JACKS GO!!! and lets take care of those sun puppies tomorrow night!

I'll Be Back

To quote the former governator of California himself, "I'll be back."  I apologize for not blogging in over a month, but I have really been overloaded with school, not to mention I was battling the flu for pretty much all of February so far.  I'm finally starting to feel better, though, so I plan on blogging either some time this weekend, or some time early next week, so keep checking for updates on The Enforcer.  Hopefully when I do blog again I will be blogging with news that the Jacks swept Allen over the weekend.  They definitely need to get something going in the right direction, especially considering they just snapped a six game losing streak with a shootout victory over Laredo yesterday afternoon.  The Jacks now need to get a good winning streak going, get above the .500 mark again, and pass a few teams in the Berry Conference standings.  Then again, the Jacks seem to be a better road team this season, so maybe a lower seed in the playoffs wouldn't be such a terrible thing.  Who really knows at this point.  That said, I'm going to keep things short and sweet here as I'm going to go ahead and wrap things up here.  As mentioned before, I should be blogging in the very near future, so keep your eyes glued to The Enforcer. ; )

GO JACKS GO!!! and lets take down (to steal a nickname from a fellow Jack fan) those commies this weekend!